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Written by Joey Gomez
McAllen, Texas – Just one year after graduating from high school, University of South Texas graduate Andrea Leal is already helping shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing.
Leal, who earned a certification in mechatronics through STC’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) program earlier this month, was recently one of six students selected to present their final projects from the college’s Manufacturing AI course to regional partners and industry leaders.
Leal, who is currently interning at Binary Technologies, a local company that designs and manufactures industrial equipment for companies, said the purpose of the presentation was to highlight how STC students are leveraging AI to solve real-world manufacturing challenges.
From predictive maintenance to quality control to inventory forecasting, Leal said STC puts them at the forefront of a whole new frontier for manufacturers who are beginning to explore the applications of AI in industry.
“I may not have all the experience yet, but I have gained knowledge through STC,” Leal said. “Many opportunities are opening up, and those opportunities will become even greater through AI.”
Leal said she discovered the AMT program while searching for career options on the STC website shortly after graduating from high school.
Influenced by her family working in manufacturing, she immersed herself in the program despite initial intimidation as the only woman in her class at the time.
“I felt lost. I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I saw Mechatronics and Robotics on the homepage of the website and thought it looked interesting. It was a one-year certificate so I decided to give it a try.”
STC faculty say Leal’s journey reflects the rapid evolution occurring within manufacturing education as AI becomes increasingly integrated into industry.
During his presentation, Leal’s project to industry experts focused on predictive maintenance for electric motors. Her team used data such as temperature, torque, RPM, and noise levels to train an AI model designed to predict when equipment would fail before it did.
Then, through a presenting partner, they created a mobile app that could collect data and train AI to predict when something would fail, Leal said.
“Students, including Real, learned the entire process of applied artificial intelligence, from problem narrowing to deployment, and that’s what’s most important,” said AMT Dean Erika Guerra.
The project generated significant interest from local manufacturers who attended the presentation, many of whom are still exploring how they can incorporate AI into their operations, Guerra said.
He added that industry representatives are eager to work with students like Real after seeing first-hand how applied AI can improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support preventive maintenance efforts.
“Some companies are starting to realize how AI can help them,” Guerra says. “I saw the students’ presentations and it immediately clicked.”
The AI in Manufacturing course, launched through the STC and Intel partnership, helps position the university as one of the first institutions in the region to offer specialized applied AI training to manufacturing students.
Leal said the skills he gained at STC are already useful in the workplace, supervising engineers, assisting with automation projects and operating sensors, switchboards and safety systems.
“If you’re a student entering this field, you have to put one foot in front of the other and just go for it, even if it seems scary and intimidating,” Leal said. “Many great opportunities are on the horizon, and thanks to STC, I feel I’m in the perfect position to make the most of them.”
Source: STC
